Lack of information hindering US troops

THE commander of US forces in Iraq yesterday blamed continuing violence on insufficient intelligence and lack of co-operation from the Iraqi people.

Meanwhile, south of Baghdad, a British soldier was killed and a second injured when their convoy was trapped between two crowds who fired arms and rocket-propelled , the British military said.

Regarding the continuing violence, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez said the country needs an Iraqi civil defence force and more Iraqi police to "establish linkages to the Iraqi people ... to get the information that we need".